Chrymos found herself alone, trapped in Nowhen, unable to move.
She had two conflicting thoughts on her mind. How can I go after Ruben and convince him to change his mind? But how can I also get back to the Academy, to save the children?
ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SEVEN
Nowhen
Time (or its equivalent in Nowhen) passed. Chrymos, still frozen by her brother’s spell, could neither move nor speak. She could only think—but there was so much to think about, much of it agonizing.
Her first thoughts were of Ruben. My poor, darling brother. You were seven when you were taken. Did the Darke Warriors convert you while you were still so very young? Or did you have to suffer through endless torments like me, before you finally agreed to do their bidding? At least you were too young to know any Outcast Angel secrets that they might have tried to get out of you. How can I hope to save you from the evil that surrounds you?
Next, Chrymos tried to picture her parents, last seen so very long ago. Would I even know you if I saw you? Are you even still alive? I’ve missed you so much, Mom, Dad. God willing, let me see you both again soon.
Chrymos felt even more pain when she thought about the three children. What must you be thinking right now, Olivia? Two days ago, I said I was going to get you all out—and, as far as you know, I simply ran out on you again. Will the Master keep his word and protect the three of you until I return—if I can? I certainly don’t trust him to do so.
And You, Father God? So many times, I’ve prayed to You, when I thought I was human, and You seemed to answer, to provide me with help and guidance. But my parents and all the Outcast Angels have told me that since the rebellion You have been deaf to our prayers. I don’t understand.
And what of the new Sanctuary, the one that Nekhbet tried for so long to find out about? Does it even still exist? Was all my suffering for nothing? How can I even know?
In due course, another shimmering transformed into a phenomenon that Chrymos had heard about but never before witnessed—the blinding light of an arriving Kingdom Angel. Chrymos could see little, dazzled by the brilliance of the light pouring from this guardian of Heaven.
The angel, a veritable giant, looked down at Chrymos. He paused, communicating with the Lord, and then waved away the curse that had rendered Chrymos both dumb and motionless. She staggered, able to move for the first time in what seemed like forever.
Chrymos was torn. Should I ask to be sent in pursuit of Ruben and the pathgem or should I ask to be sent back to the catacombs so that I can help the children?
Before Chrymos could even find any words, her decision was made for her. The Kingdom Angel spoke in her mind, his voice both thunderous and yet soothing.
The Kingdom Angel waved his hand again and Chrymos was gone from Nowhen.
ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-EIGHT
Catacombs of San Gennaro, Naples, Kingdom of Naples, 5.25 a.m. Wednesday June 23 1610
Chrymos instantly found herself back in the burial chamber within the Catacombs of San Gennaro. The stench of brimstone was still in the air and for a moment, Chrymos feared that she would find herself facing Ezequeel once more. Thankfully, the chamber was empty but Chrymos could hear heavy footsteps stomping away down the passageway—the demon must have only just left.
Chrymos took the timepiece from her pocket. The hand was pointed nearly halfway between the V and the VI, which meant that almost no time had passed between her departure from this place and her return. The elixir that protects me from the poison gas is nearly exhausted—and Adric’s has definitely run out.
At first, Chrymos didn’t know what to do next. It was such a relief to find that all her aches and pains—including those inflicted by the deadly snake venom—were gone, thanks to the healing environment of Nowhen. However, any excitement that she might have felt now that she remembered who and what she was—I’m an angel—was tempered by the bitter reality that her brother had seized the pathgem and intended to use it for evil. Anything that Chrymos might do now seemed pointless in the face of such betrayal and failure.
And then, after an absence of ten thousand years, Chrymos heard the mindvoice of her father, Shamar. He was not far away, and he was mind-talking another nearby angel.
Chrymos waited until Shamar had finished talking and then tentatively reached out to him.
The two of them soon established each other’s current situation.
It was almost time to cease the conversation, but Chrymos had one very unpleasant task to complete.
It was the second major shock of the day for Shamar, and for a moment, Chrymos was afraid that she had gone too far. At first, Shamar was silent. However, just before Chrymos felt that she simply must speak again, her father responded.
And that, for the moment, was that. Tearful reunions would have to wait.
ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-NINE
Outside The Academy of Secrets, Naples, Kingdom of Naples, 5.30 a.m. Wednesday June 23 1610
It was a stalemate. The LOA team was pinned down beside one of the estate walls, unable to get past the tornado that whirled backwards and forwards in front of them, blocking their access to the Academy buildings.
On the other hand, the tornado couldn’t move any closer to the team, despite the obvious desires of whoever had conjured up the mini-storm. Zophiel, frozen in concentration, was able to manipulate the air in front of the team, creating a barrier that the tornado couldn’t pass.
Shamar sent a mind-message to Ravid.
Shamar smiled at the irony.
With that, Ravid terminated the mind-call, leaving Shamar alone with his thoughts. Inevitably, they now focused on his long-lost son and daughter.
ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY
Catacombs of San Gennaro, Naples, Kingdom of Naples, 5.35 a.m. Wednesday June 23 1610
Chrymos rapidly searched the burial chamber area close to where Adric’s body had lain. I was only in Machkiel’s tomb for a few minutes. Ruben wouldn’t have had much time to move Adric.
Thankfully, Chrymos was correct. She found Adric’s body a short distance inside a doorway to one of the many false tombs within the burial chamber. Adric was still unconscious, but was finally beginning to stir. She waited for a few minutes, staring down at him, until he opened his eyes.
Adric peered around at his unfamiliar surroundings, before focusing on Chrymos. His first words were faint but typically cheerful. “Hi, C, what are you doing here—wherever ‘here’ is? Did I sleep in again?”
“Adric, I’m very glad to see you,” said Chrymos. “Take it easy, though,” she added as Adric tried to get up. “Allow yourself to recover.”
“Recover from what?” asked Adric, stil
l dazed but determined to get to his feet. He did manage to stand up, but was still very wobbly. “Woah. Did anyone get the name of that donkey that kicked me in the head?”
Chrymos held Adric’s arm to steady him, only releasing her grip when it was clear that he could walk by himself. “What happened to you?” she asked. “What actually knocked you out?”
“I’m not sure,” said Adric. “All I remember is trying to get into one of those tombs. Something sent me flying and I hit my head. I have no idea how I ended up in this tomb, though, it isn’t the one I was trying to enter.”
Chrymos helped Adric make his way out of the tomb and into the main burial chamber. “Hey,” he said, doing a double take, “where did that pile of bones come from? It wasn’t here when I arrived.”
Chrymos smiled. That’s more like it. “It’s a long story. Let’s just say that it was one of the protections surrounding the tomb—but it won’t bother us anymore.”
“Wait, the tomb?” said Adric. “Of course, the mission—find the tomb, save the world. Let’s get back onto it.”
Chrymos looked at him sadly. “Mission’s over, Adric. That’s the tomb, over there.” She pointed at the real tomb. “But the pathgem—that’s the treasure in the tomb that the Master was after—that’s gone. Ruben has it—he took it from me.”
“Ruben? Our Ruben?” Chrymos nodded. Oh yes—or, rather, ‘my’ Ruben.
“I didn’t even know he was back from whatever secret task Carracci had him performing,” said Adric. “How long ago did he take it?”
“That’s complicated,” said Chrymos. “From one perspective, though, about fifteen minutes.”
“Fifteen minutes? Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go. We can beat him back to the Academy,” said Adric, bustling Chrymos towards the main exit of the burial chamber. “If he’s going to attempt to take credit for what you did, then we can tell your side of the story first.”
“Wait a moment,” said Chrymos. She rushed over to Machkiel’s tomb and stepped over the threshold, pausing until she had been scanned and cleared to enter. She looked down at her fellow Outcast’s body. Now she could finally remember when and where she last saw Machkiel, being dragged through Hades by crazed demons after dying to protect the pathgem thirteen hundred years earlier. She bowed her head, a moment’s silence. Machkiel, I pray that I have not undone your heroic sacrifice.
Then, reaching down into the sarcophagus, Chrymos freed the shield and strapped it to her back. As she did so, she heard rather than saw Machkiel’s bones crumble into dust.
Chrymos emerged from the tomb just as Adric bent down and reclaimed his cloak, which lay on the ground. When she’d last seen the cloak, Ruben had been discarding it in Nowhen. I didn’t realize that the Kingdom Angel sent back everything that we brought with us. Didn’t want any trace of us still left there, I guess.
“Now where’s my sword?” grumped Adric.
“It’s over here,” said Chrymos, fetching the schiavona which still lay where she had left it an eternity ago, beside the entrance to the angel’s tomb.
Adric slipped the sword into his belt and looked over to Chrymos. “Let’s get out of here.”
Chrymos was happy to let Adric lead the way back to the underground river port—a simple task, at least for this part of the return journey, thanks to the illumination cast by the glowing walls and ceilings.
All the while, she wrestled with how best to explain to Adric everything that had been happening. There didn’t seem to be any easy explanations. Actually, Adric, we’re Outcast Angels, Ruben and I. He’s my brother but he’s gone bad. And if you’re planning to fight for the Academy, you’re on the wrong side. Oh, and my dad’s out there as well, and at this very moment, he’s battling against the Academy and if we get out of here I’m going to help him. Chrymos couldn’t think of any approach she could safely use with Adric. Oh, this is a nightmare!
ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-ONE
Catacombs of San Gennaro, Naples, Kingdom of Naples, 5.45 a.m. Wednesday June 23 1610
Adric chattered away to Chrymos as they headed back to the underground river, not noticing that she was uncharacteristically silent. “The biggest challenge for me,” he said, “was the labyrinth. I followed the instructions—your instructions, I guess, C—to number the paths that I took, but it was so dark and confusing in there that I almost chose the wrong way several times.” He waited for Chrymos to respond.
“What about the creatures?” she asked.
“Creatures? There was no mention of anything like that in my notes. I thought I heard noises, some distance away from where I was, but I didn’t see any creatures. Mind you, it was so horrible down there that I simply rushed through that section as fast as I could. I could hardly breathe in that poisonous air.”
Chrymos started, uncomfortably reminded of the dangers that still lay ahead. “Wait a minute,” she said to Adric, and reached into her pockets. She brought out the small jar of elixir that Doctor Odaldi had given her. “This will get us through the gases,” she said. “If we move quickly there should be enough for the two of us to share.”
“That’s great, C,” said Adric enthusiastically, “I knew there was a reason I invited you along to this little picnic.”
The pair resumed their journey, arriving shortly alongside the river. “And here we are,” announced Adric unnecessarily. “Did you sail here in one of these little boats too?”
“Yes I did,” said Chrymos. “Though the river did most of the work.”
They stood on the riverbank for a couple of minutes, preparing for their next move. “When I first arrived,” said Adric, “I checked out where the river goes after it leaves here. It appears to curl round in a circle and head back to the waterfall.”
“That makes sense,” said Chrymos. “It was designed to bring pilgrims to see their loved ones. You’d expect there would be a return path. It’s all very tricky, though, if you don’t know how to escape the waterfall.”
“Indeed,” agreed Adric. “I stood watching for a while after I managed to escape from the whirlpool. Even if you don’t trigger the trap by standing in the wrong place, it goes in cycles all by itself, forming a waterfall, creating a deadly water trap and then draining away.” He looked around for a suitable boat. “Here, this should carry both of us.”
Between them, Adric and Chrymos carried the chosen coracle into the river. Adric held the little boat steady while Chrymos climbed in. Then it was her turn to hold the coracle in place while Adric clambered aboard, bringing an oar with him.
“Ready?” he asked.
“Sure,” said Chrymos. “Let’s go.”
Chrymos released her grip on the side of the wharf and the coracle responded, leaping forward into the flowing current. Adric, a more experienced sailor, confidently guided the boat into the center of the river.
Chrymos was still uncertain exactly how to explain herself so she settled for a safer topic. “Any sign of those powers yet, Adric?”
Adric shook his head. “Nope. Still, you know what they say—‘nothing should be done in haste but gripping a flea.’” He laughed. “I guess I’m expecting some rather major powers, since they still haven’t shown up.”
“So what have you been doing, these last few weeks?”
“Apart from this, you mean?” replied Adric. “Mostly I’ve been a carriage driver, taking Janus twins all over the place so that they can give us advance warning if the Outcast Angels show up.”
That was Chrymos’ cue, and she was about to start talking about Outcast Angels, and perhaps sound out Adric’s opinions before revealing the changes in her circumstances. Before she could do so, Adric spoke up.
“Hold on tight now C, the river’s turning rough ahead.”
Sure enough, the coracle started rocking as the water became more turbulent. Chrymos clung to the side of the boat while Adric rowed energetically to keep the vessel upright and centered.
A few moments later, they cou
ld see the cause of the turbulence—another waterfall pouring down from above and blanketing the river.
Thankfully, the waterfall was again mere inches thick, and they were soon safely on the other side.
Within seconds, however, Chrymos could feel a burning sensation in her throat. Once again, she was in the midst of the poisonous gases.
She looked across at Adric. He was bent double, coughing and choking.
ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-TWO
Catacombs of San Gennaro, Naples, Kingdom of Naples, 5.55 a.m. Wednesday June 23 1610
Chrymos fumbled in her pocket for the jar of elixir. She opened it and handed it across to Adric. Then she took over the rowing so that he could hold the jar with both hands and drink deeply.
That’s exactly what Adric did, between coughs.
Then he handed the still-half-full jar back to Chrymos. “Thanks, C,” he said, still coughing. “That’s exactly what I needed. Pity they can’t make it taste any good. It still seems like swallowing the cow and then choking on its tail.” Adric sat back in the boat, waiting for the elixir to do its work.
The section of the catacombs within which the river now flowed was once again pitch black. We left the glowing walls behind when we lost the fresh air, thought Chrymos. So once again, she put her hand into her pocket to coat it with more red powder.
When she drew her hand out again, Chrymos could once again dimly view her surroundings. The boat was being carried along through a narrow tunnel that might lead anywhere.
Chrymos glanced across at Adric to see how he fared. He looks relaxed and comfortable. The elixir is starting to have an effect. I’ll need to take my share soon—my last batch must be nearly worn off.
Chrymos was too busy rowing. She didn’t have a hand spare to check her timepiece but she knew what it was likely to indicate. About five minutes left until my elixir runs out, I think.
Academy of Secrets: From the Outcast Angels Christian Fantasy & Science Fiction series Page 32
